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F'. F., PARKER;

- GHILDSGHAIR.

' No. 322,472. I l Patented July-21\,-1885.`

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F. F. PARKER.

GHILDS CHAIR. l No. 322,472. Patented Julyv 21, 1885.2 Y

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N. PETERS; PhMtrI-RNIHIPMH Wnhhlmn. D. C.

` UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEo FRANK F. PARKER, OF GARDNER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 'TO PHILANDER DERBY 8u CO., OF SAME PLAGE.

CHILDS CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patnt No. 322,472, dated J'uly 21, 1885.

Application tiled October l0, 1584.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that I, FRANK F. PARKER, of Gardner, county of Worcester, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Childrens Chairs, of which the fol lowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

,My invention has for its object the construction of a childs chair, which is adapted for use as a high chair or as a low rocker.

My invention is shown as embodied in that class of chairs wherein the front and back legs are pivoted upon seat-legs attached to the seat, the front and back legs having attached devices by which to hold them in position through a fastening device and aslotted guide. 4

Heretofore the front and back legs have been pivoted to seat-legs also pivoted to the under side of the seat, inwardly-bent metal platestixed to the upper end of the said front and back legs being pivoted together by a rod extended across the chair from side to side and through slots in guides attached to the seat; and so also to obviate the cost of pvotingthe seat-legs and make the chair more durable and strong, the pivoted front and back legs have been joined by links connected therewith below the pivots of the said front and back legs, a rod connecting the opposite ends of each pair of links being extended across the chair below its seat and connecting the links at opposite sides of the chair, the said rod sliding in slots of guides connected with the seat-frame, a spring actuated latch serving to hold the rod referred to in position to keep the front and back legs in any one of their positions.

To simplify the construction of chairs of the class referred to, and so connect the links operating the pivoted front and rear legs as to enable them to withstand by direct thrust one toward the other the strain put upon the chair-seat when in its elevated position, I have so pivoted the front and back legs on the seat-frame as to cause the upper ends of the legs to extend a considerable distance above the lower end of the seat-frame, and

5o the links are pivoted to the said legs at a point above their pivots, and the links joining each front leg with each back leg are 'held by fastening devices made as screwclamps and engaging slotted guidesin the seat-frame.

This apparatus may be used as a high chair by moving the legs on their pivots so as to raise the chair-body and cause it to be supported in elevated position, the legs then resting on their free ends, the pairs of links being locked at the bottom of the guideplates by means of the screw-knobs.

To provide a low rocker I loosenthe screwknobs, so as to release the -pairs of links, when said links are moved upward in the slotted plates and permit the shorter arms of the pivoted legs to be brought in the line of the curved side pieces of the seat-frame, which are then locked in such position by moving the links to the bottom of the guideplates and screwing up the screw-knobs to firmly hold the links, whereupon alow rocker is provided in which the said curved sidepieces serve to bridge over the joint or interval between the contiguous ends of the rockers and act as continua-tions of said rockers.

Figure l shows in side elevation a chair embodying my invention, and which is adjusted to be used as a high chair; Fig. 2, a detail showing in dotted lines the positions of the links when the fastening devices or screw-knobs are carried to the top of the guide-plates to permit the legs to be moved on their pivots. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail 'ot' one of the slotted guide-plates, with its fastening device or knob; Fig. 4, a front elevation of the chair, showing in dotted lines A the table'hanging on its bevel pivot at one side of the chair. t

The chair-body, consisting of the seat a,baok a', arms a? and arm-supports a3,of any usual or preferred construction, is secured to the top b of asuitable seat-frame,B,which is provided at its bottom with the side pieces, b', having curved under sides,and with their front ends projecting in front of the seat-frame to support a footrest, C, attached thereto. The curved legs D are pivoted between their ends, as at d, to the seat-frame B, preferably at the junction of IooA the side pieces, b, with the upright portions otsaid frame, the said legs being each provided with a link, E, pivoted to their upper ends, the pair of links E at each side of the seat frame being strung upon the boltf of a knob, F. The bolt is then passed through the slotted guide plate G, projecting from the top of the seat-frame down the side of said seatfraine,and receives a nut, f', (see Fig. 3,) said nut being` reduced and projecting part way into the slot of the plate G, to prevent it from turning with the boltf.

A washer, 3, may be interposed between the knob F and the adjacent link.

The screw-knobs, one at each side of the seat-frame, maybe turned to lock the links to the bottom or top of thc slotted plates G, when the legs are adj usted to provide,respect ively, a high chair or rocker.

Fig. l shows the apparatus adjust-ed as a high chair, with the links firmly held to the bottom of the slotted plates by the screwknobs, and thence it will be noticed that the strain on the links E E is that of a straight thrust against the Shanks of the screw-knobs. Connecting the links E E with the upper ends of thclegs D D enables me to makea stronger and stiffer chair, on'e wit-h shorter links and of, as I think, better appearance. To change the position of. parts so as to provide a low rocker, as illustrated in dotted lines, Fig. l, loosen the screw-knobs and move them, with their att-ached links, to the top of the slotted plates; swing the legs on their pivots until the shorter portions of said legs are in the line of the curved side pieces, b', the chair-body and seat-frame being thereby lowered, when the screw-knobs are moved back into their former posit-ion at the bottoms of the slotted plates and locked thereto. Each of the curved side pieces b serves to bridge over the joint or interval between the adjacent ends of each pair of legs, which serves as one rocker, whereby the effect is the same as if the rocker were in one continuous piece.

I do not claim, broadly, the screw-knobs, links,and guide-plates irrespective of their especial construction, as herein stated.

1. rIhe combination, with a seat-frame supporting a chair-seat and provided at each side with a guide-plate, of curved legs D D, pivoted between their ends to the seat-frame, and provided each with a link, E, pivoted to the upper end thereof, and fastening devices, substantially as described, for locking the free ends of the said links at dierent heights to the slotted plates, as and for the purpose set fort-h.

2. The combination,with the seat-frame B, supporting a chair-body and provided ateach side with the curved side pieces and theguideplates, of curved legs pivoted between their ends to the bottom of the seat-frame, and provided each with a link pivoted to the upper end thereof, and fastening devices for locking the free ends of said links at different heights to the guide-plates, substantially as set forth.

3. The seat-fra1ne B,to support the seat and provided with the slotted guide-plates, the legs pivoted to the seat frame and having the links, as specied, combined with the screwknobs passing through the links and slotted guide-plate, and provided with a nut having a reduced portion to enter the slotted plates, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK F. PARKER.

YVitnesses:

HARLIN P. UPHAM, JAMEs A. S'rrtns. 

